Iceland

Alvia Islandia “Bubblegum Bitch”

Alvia Islandia started making her own music at the age of 16, at that time influenced mostly by local electronic producers from Iceland. But since then, the range of her inspirations has been only growing as demonstrated on this new album.

On “Bubblegum Bitch”, she brings us a dark jam of all the recent trends in rap/trap/bass music, but it’s filtered a candy-colored nostalgia and Alvia Islandia’s stark love to Björk, as demonstrated right on the cover.

Amiina “Fantômas”

Amiina‘s latest adventure, “Fantômas”, was originally composed as a live score to a silent masterpiece from 1913. Amiina’s members decided right from the start that the music would also be able to stand on its own, independent of the visual narrative.

Violin, cello, drums, percussion, metallophone, table harp, ukulele, and electronics are the source material for the sound world here, but it’s expanded upon with Amiina’s imaginative usage of the different instruments and their endless textures.

Andi “Andi”

Andri Eyjolfsson is the mysterious man behind this timeless, all killer no filler, 8-track album simply called “Andi”, which was among the most surprising and distinct Icelandic releases of the last year.

“Andi” is Andi’s is first album as a musician and given its quality, we are all pretty excited about where this artist is headed.

Apart from the digital stream, “Andi” is only available on blue/translucent cassette, laser etched yellow case. Each cassette is lovingly numbered and bound for collector item greatness

Gyða Valtýsdóttir “Epicycle”

Former Múm member Gyða Valtýsdóttir was among the six winners in the latest edition of Kraumur Awards (alongside several other artists from this list) for her new but centuries-spanning album “Epicycle”.

If features “recloaked gems of classical repertoire through last 2000 years” written by the likes of Prokofiev, Schubert, Schumann on the one hand, Harry Partch, George Crumb and Olivier Messiaen on the other, and closed by the one and only Hildegard Von Bingen.

Kælan mikla “Kælan mikla”

The trio Kælan Mikla, which means Lady of the Cold in Icelandic, is a unique poetry punk band from Reykjavik.

Their blend of poetry and outstanding musical performances was recognized a few years ago, but the gorup reached completely new audiences with this self-titled new album.

On “Kælan Mikla”, spoken-word vocals follow ceaseless beats and dark synthesizers. And while the mixture might seem unassuming on the first listen, be warned your psyche won’t be untouched after the Kælan Mikla experience.

Naðra “Allir vegir til glötunar”

Recorded over 2014-2015, the debut album of a black metal band Naðra (featuring members of Carpe Noctem and Misþyrming) came out at the very start of the last year, and for many it set the right tone for the wrong events to come later in 2016

“My first impression was this is pure primal scream catharsis,” one listener wrote on Bandcamp, “but the more I listen the more I hear the layers of fury melting away and revealing something significantly more melodic and poetic.”

Reykjavíkurdætur “RVK DTR”

All-female Icelandic rap collective Reykjavikurdaetur (Reykjavik Daughters) was born quite surprisingly and every new songs they have created together seemed to preserve that unpredictability component.

Over the last year, they won the hearts and minds of international critics with their new album “RVK DTR” and face-melting performances, first at Iceland Airwaves and Sónar Festivals, and then at Roskilde Festival.

Samaris “Black Lights”

On their previous releases, Samaris honed their unique combination of brooding electronics, warm sounds of the clarinet, and Icelandic lyrics. But things changed on “Black Lights”.

For starters, the single “Wanted 2 Say” was their first song in English and signaled a similar decision for the entire LP. “Black Lights” also brought a shift towards lighter and more upbeat sound, making it the trio’s most straightforwardly pop effort yet.

Still, the vibrant d’n’b beats and ambient soundscapes hark back to the classic electronic sounds of the 1990s that seem so integral to their approach to music. Samaris are progressing, but their signature strengths remain intact.

Sigrún “Hringsjá” EP

Hugely experimental, the producer/singer Sigrún Jónsdóttir is definitely one to watch. Her four-track EP “Hringsjá” was inspired by electronic music that has some classical music elements.

Taking you to the point where crazy dubstep or club music meets composition and choir music, it presents a very eclectic mix of all things weird and wonderful, but which behave in a cohesive manner together producing a sweet sound.

₩€$€‎₦ “₩ALL OF PAI‎₦”

₩€$€₦ is an electronic art-pop duo made up of long-time friends and co-conspirators Júlía Hermannsdóttir and Loji Höskuldsson.

Hailing from Reykjavík, the two started working on music together in their teens, but established themselves separately within the Icelandic music scene, Loji with alt-rock darlings Sudden Weather Change and Júlía with dreamy noise-rockers Oyama.

“₩ALL OF PAI₦” is their debut album and a sincere product of passion. Each sound and melody was carefully crafted in various home studios and quiet spaces during all kinds of unholy hours, and traditional instruments are mixed in with unorthodox beats using pure intuition.